Man sentenced to prison for trying to kill his ex-wife

The Leiria Judicial Court sentenced a man to a single sentence of five years and three months in prison for the crimes of aggravated domestic violence and attempted qualified homicide that victimized his ex-wife.

The defendant, aged 71, subject to the coercive measure of being required to remain in the home with electronic surveillance, was also sentenced to the additional penalty of prohibiting contact, by any means, by himself or through an intermediary, with the victim, for a period of three years.

The collective court also determined that the defendant must pay the victim eight thousand euros in compensation.

In October last year, the Public Security Police (PSP) announced the arrest of a 72-year-old suspect of domestic violence against his wife in Leiria.

According to a statement from the PSP, the man had already “attempted the physical integrity of the victim” in March of the same year, and is suspected of having done so again in October, now “using a bladed weapon”.

In the ruling, dated Thursday and to which Lusa had access, it is stated that, for the past 10 years, the couple's relationship has deteriorated because the “defendant has been left without work and has nothing to do”.

Among other aspects, the panel of judges found it proven that the man insulted and threatened to kill the woman, who “felt afraid and restless, fearing for her physical integrity and even for her life”.

In March 2024, following an argument, the man attacked and even tried to strangle the victim, who, during the investigation phase, gave statements for future reference.

According to the panel of judges, after this episode, the woman continued to live in the same house as the defendant, but in separate rooms.

The couple divorced at the beginning of October of the same year, having agreed that the woman would leave the house a week later, for “fearing for her physical integrity and even for her life”.

However, during that period, one morning, the man burst into the victim's room with a large kitchen knife, the tip of which he touched to the victim's stomach, and she tried several times to take it out of the defendant's hands, ending up suffering injuries.

The court also found that the defendant “acted with the purpose, concrete and repeated”, of offending and physically and psychologically mistreating the victim, “in order to affect his physical and psychological well-being, his tranquility, honour and personal dignity”.

The ruling also states that the man, who has no criminal record and who remained silent during the trial, acted with the “intention of killing his ex-wife, which he was unable to do for reasons beyond his control and because she, with great difficulty, managed to remove the knife from his hands”.